ABSTRACTS
Evaluation of Behavioral Health Curriculum on Paramedic StudentAuthor: Jameel Sylvia MPA, NRP | Director, Paramedic Programs | David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA Associate Authors: Williams, Tiffany, D., MS, NRP | Rollman, Jeffrey, E., MPH, NRP
Background
Behavioral and psychiatric emergencies represent a growing proportion of 9-1-1 emergency medical services (EMS) responses. These incidents can range from acute psychosis and suicidal ideation to substance-induced agitation and violent behavior, often requiring advanced communication, de-escalation, and/or pharmacologic intervention skills to safely manage these patients. Despite this, behavioral health remains underemphasized in most paramedic education programs, possibly leading to significant gaps in provider confidence and preparedness. With rising frequency of behavioral health calls, it is critical that paramedic students receive the training they need to respond effectively and safely to these potentially challenging patients. Methods We conducted a quality improvement pre-post study in a large academic-based paramedic program in the United States. Students completed a 10-item confidence survey before and after a 12-hour educational initiative, which included 8 hours of didactic instruction on psychiatric and behavioral emergencies and a 4-hour high-fidelity simulation lab with standardized patients. Confidence was measured using a 5-point Likert scale, with 5 as “I am confident enough to teach others.” We analyzed paired responses with Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Tests, setting significance at p<0.01. Results A total of 114/124 paramedic students (92% response rate) across three cohorts completed both pre/post-tests. Significant improvements were found across all 10 items (p<0.00001). The overall median confidence score increased from 3 (IQR: 3,4) to 4 (IQR: 4,5), reflecting a median improvement of 1 point. The most significant increase was observed in awareness of behavioral health resources (+1.5 points), while the smallest but still significant improvement was in identifying personal limitations (+0.7 points). Conclusion The enhanced behavioral/psychiatric curriculum significantly improved paramedic students’ confidence in managing behavioral emergency patients. Findings support the integration of dedicated psychiatric/behavioral health training within paramedic education programs to better prepare future providers for field-based behavioral emergencies. Future research should explore whether these confidence gains translate into improved field performance, patient outcomes, and long-term retention of behavioral health competencies.
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